Game Thoughts

[orangenirvana]

I also liked how much of the room wasn't paying attention, and how Anderson kept looking back at the camera as if to say "are you still getting this?"

We can bust on it all we want but it seemed to work for them.

 

[Rocco]

Phil Thomas makes way too many HUGE mistakes. His mistakes come at the worst times. Really frustrating because I agree that he has the tools to get it done at this level.

 

[MikeSU02]

Sharmka had pitch per the lineup of that, Corner then FS have back. They made a nice call to run option to the weak side there.

Gotcha, thanks.

 

[Chip]

We can bust on it all we want but it seemed to work for them.

Or it had absolutely no bearing at all. We'll never know. I'm guessing there was at least one other motivational event this week, perhaps from the head coach.

But yes, they did win, so I've stopped mocking their performances against FIU and Marshall. They've certainly earned that much.

 

[Tornado91]

IMO, there are few great coaches that are yellers and screamers. Saban, Grobe, Beamer, Tressel, etc.

I think this team needs a heart and soul type kid to exhibit on field leadership.

The LBs are young, and the older DBs seem to have been the most error-prone. I had hoped that energy pn defense would come from our DEs this season, but MM has been very quiet and Chandler missed a lot of time. Spruill strikes me as a quiet guy, so who knows if he'll ever serve that role.

On offense it would have to be Ryan, but he's been characterized as a fairly uptight kid. It's not a lack of intensity, because I think he has that, but a seeming lack of confidence that keeps him from being a real leader.

 

[Shenexon]

I also thought that the team was very flat and Louisville very motivated. We had the opposite side of that equation against WVU but were not ready to play against Louisville. It would seem that it would be easier to be "energized" at home with fan support but it doesn't always seem to follow that pattern. Louisville needed the game more than we did, are pissed that we've screwed up their conference, and got the BE refs to call the early foulfest to deflate us as the game began. I'm hoping that the team & coaches will be up for the UConn game, at least as much as UConn will be, as we could really use a win this week. How exactly do good coaches inspire the players on game-day?

 

[RF2044]

IIRC, many of Marrone's recruits were team captains.

Perhaps one of those kids will eventually step forward?

Someone [Go?] posted today that 50+ players on the current roster are first or second year players. We ought to take an enormous step forward in terms of experience / leadership when this group ascends into being upperclassmen.

 

[JoeSU]

Eh, this doesn't bother me at all. Marrone is who he is. I'll take his demeanor over GumpRob, who's cheerleader antics I found to be downright embarrassing at times.

I think this is on player leadership.

I totally agree on both counts. A coach's persona is what it is. When it's contrived, or they get carried away with their emotions, they come off looking like a total ass-clown (re: Randy Edsall and Brian Kelly). HCDM seems to be more involved in on-field decisions than many HCs - he clearly isn't just a sideline cheerleader - so I think it's important for him to maintain his composure and his head in the game.

Maybe the root of the problem is a lack of senior leadership or a "Ray Lewis" personality in the locker room.

 

[kcsu]

Leader on D is Chandler Leader on O doesnt exist that is part of the problem

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Leader on D is Chandler Leader on O doesnt exist that is part of the problem

I dont think stuff like this matters whatsoever, look we have played like almost the entire year, we have played one good game and a few decent quarters, the defense has looked out of place in their base package, the 4-3 has been bad all year, specials have improved slightly but we still stink at kick offs and have no punt returns. And the offense is ranked in the botton 15% in all of college football. In addition, I cant remember a team with more personal fouls. That stinks, the fact that we have won more than 2 games is really a miracle. We have played really tight games with a 1AA school and one of the worst teams in 1A.. I dont know what more there is to say but other than the WVU game, this team has looked really really bad,

 

[SmilinBob]

After the young man broke his neck last weekend you knew that SU was walking into a hornets nest and was going to have to take a few punches before getting into an offensive flow. Louisville played with a lot of emotion and I was hoping we could counter punch until that emotion ran out but 3 big plays made by Louisville just put us to our knees.

Regarding the personal fouls, what were they and did anyone see them?